Howling At the Moon
by VendettaAndGrudge
Summary: Sokka is pressured into getting engaged to Suki. But he knows he is still in love with the deceased Princess Yue. Can he live with himself, knowing he failed to protect her? Or will Sokka’s despair drive him to do the unthinkable?
1. Prophecy of Water

Sokka could no longer bear to watch Katara and Aang kiss and repeat the sickly-sweet phrase "I love you." This was partially because it was unsettling to watch his sister flirt with a boy two years younger than her and partially because of his own insecurity. The man grunted and excused himself from the room, walking outside into the cold evening air.

The warrior retreated to the balcony of the mansion that was built by his grandfather, Pakku, as an attempt to rebuild the Water Tribe Civilization in the South Pole. He put his head in his gloved hands, reminiscing. He would marry Suki at the end of the month. Suki of Kiyoshi Island. Once his mentor. The girl who taught him to fight as stealthily as a Kiyoshi Warrior. The one who had given him his first kiss.

The light of the setting sun burned, creating a feeling of moroseness inside the man's heart. The light's warmth was no match for the South Pole's winter air. Sokka gnashed his teeth. No longer was he in control of his emotions. He beat the balcony railing with his fists and covered his head in his arms. His tears stung when they touched his lips, reminding him that he was dishonoring himself as a warrior by crying.

He heard footsteps behind him and turned around to see Katara, a worried expression on her face. Blushing, he turned his head away and wiped his eyes.

"What do you want, Katara?"

She stepped forward and put a hand on her brother's shoulder. "Sokka," she began. "You've been irritable and distant like this for a week. Something's wrong. I can tell."

Sokka threw piece of snow into the ocean that overlooked the balcony. "It's nothing. I don't want to talk about it."

Katara's blue eyes shined with worry. "Aang thinks that you're nervous about getting married. Is that true?"

A scowl crossed Sokka's face. "Aang doesn't know what he's talking about! Katara, please just leave."

The warrior pulled up the hood on his parka, covering his dark hair.

"I need to be alone."

Katara nodded and hugged her brother who refused to return the gesture. "Just do what you think it right, Sokka."

Still looking worried, she turned and walked back into the house where Aang was waiting for her.


	2. Sending the Message

After an hour writing, Sokka departed to the stables to find his messenger hawk. The minute he stepped onto the hay-covered icy floor, his face was greeted by the tongue and saliva of an excited air bison. About a second later, he found himself at the mercy of the two ton beast.

He was not in the mood for Appa's gregariousness. Grunting, he pulled his body out from under the bison's giant paw. He stroked his friend's furry head and threw him a bitter apple that had been imported from Omashu. Turning to the left, he located his messenger hawk, Hawky, and held his arm out for the bird land on. Bidding farewell to Appa, he turned and walked outside.

"Hi, Hawky," he muttered, withdrawing the freshly-written letter from his pocket. Without another word, he tied the message to the bird's talon.

The bird cocked its head to the side, awaiting his master's order.

Sokka sighed, weighing his options. Was he doing the right thing? He looked up at the newly-risen full moon overhead and nodded.

_"Yue."_ he thought to himself. _"This has to be done."_

The man stroked the bird's red feathers affectionately.

"I need you to deliver this to Suki of Kiyoshi Island. It's very important."

With that, he extracted a bag of bird seed from the pouch of his parka and allowed Hawky to eat his fill.

"It needs to be delivered as soon as possible."

The bird cawed obediently and spread its wings, flying away. Sokka watched until his messenger hawk was out of sight. Hoping for a distraction from the emotions fighting inside of him, the self-proclaimed "wolf" withdrew the iron boomerang from the sheath on his back and polished it until he could see his reflection. A small drop of water hit the metal and slowly dripped to the ground. Sokka closed his eyes tightly and fell to his knees.

_"I'm sorry, Suki."_


	3. Prophecy of Air

Sokka tiptoed down the halls of Aang's mansion. It was very late. The young airbender was undoubtedly asleep. The floors creaked, making the man nervous that he might wake the monk up if he made a wrong move. But then again, he would have to wake him up either way.

The warrior opened the door to the Avatar's room and stepped inside, no longer caring about the sound it made. Consequently, Aang heard the warrior's boots pound the surface and sprung awake, launching a powerful gust of wind that would push Sokka back a good fifty feet and cause him to slam into the hard ice wall.

The dark-skinned warrior groaned and rubbed the back of his head. He muttered a few profanities, knowing well that he would be feeling bruises the next day.

"Damn it, Aang," he growled. "I thought you were a nonviolent monk. Why did you just attack me?"

The bald boy ran over to Sokka and helped him up.

"Sorry, Sokka," he grinned, brushing the dirt off of his friend's parka. "I had a nightmare that Firelord Ozai burned Omashu to the ground and I wasn't able to use my bending to stop him."

"What?" the man muttered in disbelief. "You still have nightmares about that? You defeated Ozai three years ago. He's in a maximum-security prison in the Fire Nation. He can't do anything destructive now."

"Zuko tells me Ozai went insane, just like Azula."

Sokka couldn't help himself. "Must run in the family."

The arrow-headed boy laughed and nodded. He cracked his shoulders and yawned. "What did you need me for, Sokka?"

The warrior's Earth-colored skin made his ice-colored eyes look more intense in the atmosphere's darkness.

"You were right," he said sadly.

Aang smirked. "You see? I told you."

A moment passed and neither boy said a word.

"Uh… what was I right about, again?"

Sokka grunted at Aang's overconfidence. "You were right that I was nervous about marrying Suki."

The boy inhaled and exhaled deeply, generating a small red-orange flame in the palm of his hand. Cautiously, he walked over to the lantern hanging on the wall beside him to light the room through his firebending. He turned back to Sokka.

"And you need some advice?"

Sokka nodded. "I guess I do."

Aang looked thoughtfully at his friend. "The monks used to say that marriage is like walking in a desert oasis. If you know where you're going, you'll find a pool of fresh water. If you don't know where you're going, you'll end up in quicksand and sink."

The native analyzed Aang's speech for a moment.

"I can't marry Suki. I'll sink."

Aang hadn't expected Sokka to say that. He stepped forward and looked sadly at his friend.

"Oh." He remarked, scratching the blue arrow tattoo on his bald head. "I thought you were just nervous about the commitment. Why can't you marry Suki? You love her, don't you?"

The warrior turned away unhappily. "Yes. I do love her."

Aang put a hand on Sokka's shoulder. "Then why?"

The wolf closed his eyes and waited a minute before answering.

"Because I'm still in love with Yue."

Yue. It was a name Aang had not heard in years. Yue was once the princess of the Northern Water Tribe. She was a fair ruler, devoted to her people. Her life had been saved by the Moon Spirits when she was a child. She held their power in her soul as a result. Aang, Katara, and Sokka had first met Princess Yue on their trip to the North Pole to find a waterbending teacher that would be willing to take in two more students. Yue and Sokka had fallen in love instantly, getting themselves into a relationship that would end tragically. It had been a time of war. When the Fire Nation attacked the North Pole, a powerful general called Zhou destroyed the moon as an attempt to stifle the waterbenders' power. When Zhou destroyed the moon, the world's balance was upset. To restore the balance, Yue gave her life back to the Spirits, against Sokka's pleas. She became the Moon, letting her human half die.

"Sokka," Aang said quietly, bringing himself back to reality. "Yue is dead."

A polar wolf howled in the distance. Sokka wanted to join its accapella.

"Then the better part of me is dead, too."

The Avatar was stunned. He had never seen Sokka so desperate. The warrior continued to speak, despite the bewildered look on his friend's face.

"Let me borrow Appa for a few days, Aang." The snow melted off of Sokka's boots, forming a puddle on the crystal surface.

Aang was hesitant to leave his companion in this state. "Why do you want to borrow Appa?"

The wolf-warrior cried inside but spoke steadily outside.

"I want to go to the North Pole. To visit Yue's grave."


	4. Prophecy of Fire

"Sokka, Are you sure you want to do this?" Katara called up to her brother who was seated on the back of the furry air bison.

The members of the Southern Water Tribe had gathered around the stables to bid goodbye to the son of their chief. Sokka glanced down at his sister and nodded.

Pakku waterbended the ice from the surface below him and formed a pedestal of frozen liquid. He leapt up onto it so he may speak face-to-face with his step-grandson.

"The world is filled with people," the wise old master began. "And for every person there is a match. Someone who can compliment him perfectly." Pakku glanced back at Kana. In the distance, Aang moved closer to Katara. The old man continued.

"And if you find this person, being separated from her is a horrible fate."

Sokka nodded unhappily. "That was Yue. I love Suki, but it's just not the same feeling."

Aang came forward and stroked Appa's fur. "Have a good flight, Buddy. Sokka will take good care of you."

The super intelligent lemur known as Momo purred and climbed up onto Sokka's shoulder. He smiled halfheartedly and scratched the little creature's ears affectionately.

"Bye, Momo. I'll be back before you know it."

With that, the wolf warrior took the bison's reins in his gloved hands. "Yip yip," he mumbled. And Appa was off. The familiar ice and snow and smiling faces of waving villagers quickly became a blur in the Arctic snow. Sokka inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. He was going to see this through. He had to.

***

After an hour of flying north, the warrior pulled Appa's reigns again. He grunted confusedly.

"Sorry, Appa," he said, trying to make his voice heard over the roar of the air current. "But we're not going straight to the North Pole. We've got a few stops to make first."

Appa growled, disappointed. He hated it when people "forgot" to mention extra stops.

"Start flying northwest, Appa. Our first destination is the Fire Nation capitol city. We're going to visit an old friend."

It was almost sunset when Appa landed in front of the Fire Nation imperial palace. He plopped to the ground tiredly and rolled over on his back, spilling the contents of the saddle Sokka had loaded with supplies.

The wolf warrior patted his furry friend's head. "Good job, Appa," he praised. "You'll get a big dinner tonight. I'll make sure of it."

The bison growled gratefully and licked the man's face. He recoiled.

"Eyuck! Is there some other way you can show affection?"

Sokka turned away from Appa and flagged down a palace guard. The armor-clad man approached him cautiously, his spear drawn.

The warrior gripped handle of his machete as a precaution. He looked the guard in the eye and cleared his throat.

"My name is Sokka, son of Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe. I need to speak with Firelord Zuko. As soon as possible."

The man blushed profusely and kowtowed. "Prince Sokka." he breathed. "I had no idea you would be arriving. I apologize. I will request an audience with the Firelord immediately. Forgive me."

Sokka scratched his head. Back home, the only person who called him "Prince Sokka" was his younger sister. And she did it mockingly. The South Pole's government was a tribal council, but the rest of the world thought it was monarchical like that of the North Pole.

Two more royal guards approached Sokka and signaled for him to follow. He trailed behind them at a safe distance until they reached a large, dimly-lit room. It was decorated with many Fire Nation flags and paintings of members of the royal family. The warrior shuddered upon seeing the effigies of the former Firelord Ozai and Princess Azula. Even in paintings they looked evil and conniving.

The guard bowed once again. "The king will be with you shortly, sir." He stepped away, his weapon stowed.

Sokka waited for a moment until he heard a vaguely familiar female voice from the other room.

"You said you were going to cancel that meeting with the court advisors and spend the day with me! But no! You always have to put your job first!"

An exhausted male voice answered. "Just give me a break! I told you already, I _did_ cancel the meeting. It's just Sokka. He's here right now. He came a long way. I have to see what he needs from me."

The irritated female quieted down after a moment. "Fine. Say hello to him for me. I'll be in the garden feeding the koi fish… and _waiting_ for you to fulfill your promises!"

Sokka could hear her stomping away from the other room. Another moment passed before the newest Firelord appeared in the doorway.

The warrior glanced at his old friend. He hadn't changed much in the three years they were separated. He was still lean and muscular in figure. His hair was now longer and more neatly groomed. The blood red scar still mercilessly consumed the left half of his face without any evidence of healing.

The fire king looked solemnly at the water chieftain. He tucked a fist under an open hand and bowed at the waist. "Prince Sokka."

Sokka returned the gesture. "Firelord Zuko."

Zuko laughed and held his hand out for his guest to shake. The warrior grasped it firmly and grinned at his old friend.

"It's good to see you, Sokka. You look great."

Sokka scratched his head embarrassedly. "So do you, you jerk."

The royal firebender turned away and ordered a passing servant to bring them a cart of hors d'oeuvres, knowing well that his friend would never refuse food. Sokka was grateful. His stomach had been growling like an angry polar bear.

The Water Tribe man dived for the food cart the second the servant arrived with it. He pulled a possum-chicken drumstick off of the platter with the speed of a snow leopard on ice. Zuko watched him eat of the bird in fascinated horror. The meat that had covered the bone's surface quickly vanished into thin air. The firelord shrugged passively. Sokka hadn't changed much over the years either.

The warrior finally breathed normally after the animal protein was safely inside of his stomach. Possum-chicken was rich and filling. Sokka commented that it tasted remarkably like Arctic hen. Zuko waited a moment for his friend to digest and then cleared his throat.

"So, Sokka. What's going on?"

The sound of glass braking could be heard from the other room. The irritated female from before cursed loudly. Zuko put his face in his hands and groaned in frustration.

Sokka raised one eyebrow. "Who is that girl, anyway? The voice sounds familiar."

Zuko gave him an equally inquisitive look, suggesting that Sokka should have known who it was. "It's Mai. My wife."

The warrior's mouth fell open, revealing the remains of a fruit tart he had recently wolfed down. "That's _Mai_ making all that noise? But she's always so quiet and emotionless. I've never heard her yell. Or even raise her voice."

The firelord turned away from his company. "She's been having mood swings."

Sokka thought for a moment. "Is it that time of the month…?"

Zuko's face turned the same color as his nation's flag. "No!"

"Then why is she so moody?" Sokka was too curious for Zuko to be comfortable. "Poison ivy? Anger over a forgotten anniversary? A martial arts training injury?"

The firebender rolled his eyes. "She's pregnant, you idiot!"

Fortunately, Sokka's mouth was empty. He would have choked if food had been in it.

"You're going to be a dad, Zuko!?"

The monarch nodded gravely. "And I swear I'm going to be a better father to my child than my father was to me."

Sokka grimaced, his eyes drifting over to Zuko's scar. "I don't think you'll have to work too hard to achieve that goal…"

Silence surrounded the men for a moment. The firebender took an egg custard pastry from the cart and bit off the edges.

"Anyway, Sokka. It's not that I'm not happy to see you, but did you come to me for something specific?"

The warrior's expression deflated, as he felt the pain he had suffered earlier. He helped himself to a stewed sea cucumber from the platter, a saddened look on his handsome face. "I did. I need advice. And I'm hoping you'll be able to give me some."

Zuko finished the pastry and reached for an Omashu apple. "Fire away."

Sokka took a few seconds of mental preparation. "You remember Suki?"

"Of course." Zuko bit into the small, bitter piece of fruit. "Your girlfriend. You two made a good couple. Even if she could kick your butt."

The indignant warrior disregarded that last comment. "A few months ago, Suki proposed that we get married. And I agreed…"

The firelord smiled and patted his friend on the back. "Congratulations, Sokka! When's the wedding?"

Sokka closed his eyes. "There isn't going to be one."

"Huh?" Zuko regarded the wolf warrior. "Why not?"

The chieftain eyed the sea cucumber in his hand suspiciously. He then frowned and sheepishly returned it to the platter, deciding that it was not something he wanted in his stomach. "Remember when I told you about Yue? My first girlfriend?"

The firebender had an idea where this was going. "Sokka… she's dead…"

Sokka shook his head defiantly. "I love her! More than anyone else in the world! I can't marry Suki when I still love Yue!"

Zuko backed up a few feet. "Then don't."

The warrior's face twisted with frustration. "But _why_!?

The firelord recoiled again. "Cut it out, Sokka! I can't tell you why! Because the question of 'why' is something you already know the answer to. Do you want my advice or not?"

Sokka's face fell. "Yes." He took a deep breath. "What do you think I should do?"

Zuko put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Alright, Sokka," he began. "I can't tell you _exactly _what to do. But I can tell you that you obviously don't want to marry Suki while you still have memories of Yue. It's reasonable. Suki is a smart girl. She'll understand. Don't trap yourself in a loveless marriage. That's all I can say."

Sokka breathed a sigh of relief. "I can't marry Suki. Not while I'm still thinking about Yue. Thanks, Zuko."

The young king shrugged. "Don't thank me. I didn't make the decision for you."

The two friends shook hands. Sokka reached for another piece of possum-chicken. "I think I really am going to go through with this…"

Zuko furrowed his brow. "Going to go through with what?"

Sokka gnawed at the piece of meat. "Nothing. Just visiting Yue's grave. Don't worry about it."

A loud crash occurred in the next room over. Mai screamed. "Zuko! Get in here!"

The warrior couldn't mask his smile. "When is she due?"

Zuko winced. "Hopefully soon. A pregnant woman is more unpredictable than a confused air lemur."

The flame in one of the room's lanterns flickered out with a small puff of smoke. Zuko walked over to it, took a breath, and relit it with his fingertips.

The water chieftain returned to the subject of his friend's moody wife.

"Normally, I'd go say hello and congratulate her, but I'm not sure if that's such a good idea." Sokka began to walk toward the exit. When he was halfway across the room, he turned to face the firelord. "Give Mai my regards. And send us a message when the baby comes so we can visit."

Zuko stopped Sokka at the door. "I will. But let's focus on right now. It's late. You and Appa have got to be pretty tired. Why don't you stay the night? You can take your pick from one of the guest rooms and I'll get the stable buck to bring Appa some hay."

The warrior was about to refuse, but then remembered the promise he made to the hungry air bison about giving him a big dinner.

"I guess I could stay." he nudged Zuko with his elbow. "And maybe your wife will be in a better mood in the morning."

The firelord sighed. "Don't count on it."

Sokka stretched out tiredly, suddenly immensely glad his friend had offered him to stay. "I need to ask you one more thing, Zuko."

The Fire Nation King glanced quickly in the direction of the sounds of Mai's mood swing. "Yes?"

The warrior took more food from the cart. "Back at the Boiling Rock all those years ago, you said I thought things through well. Do you still feel that way?"

Zuko put a hand on his chin and thought for a moment. "Yeah. You're pretty good at that."

Sokka hugged his friend. "Thanks. You should probably go to Mai now."

"And you should get some sleep," the king answered. "You've got a long flight ahead of you."

The warrior rubbed the back of his neck. "You don't know the half of it."


	5. Prophecy of Earth

"Yip yip, Appa," Sokka said clearly.

The air bison started to ascend, facing east, the direction of his next destination. The warrior glanced down at Zuko and Mai who came out to the courtyard to see him off. The woman was in a considerably better mood. She had even smiled and said hello to Sokka. He shrugged. His friend had been right. Pregnant women were less predictable than confused air lemurs.

"Bye, guys!" he shouted down to the ground.

"Take care of yourself, Sokka!" Zuko yelled. The warrior barely heard him from the sky.

The wind whipped around Sokka's body, blowing back his long, dark hair. It was a minor annoyance, even when all of the loose strands were tied back in a wolf tail.

"Okay, buddy," he said to Appa. "Keep heading east. We're off to Ba Sing Se."

The bison growled. His pilot had slipped him another forgotten stop.

The two-ton beast landed with a thud inside of Ba Sing Se's Inner Wall. Sokka awoke with a start. He had spent the last day and a half dreaming of how Suki was reacting to his letter. His subconscious wouldn't allow him to wake up at night and see the moon. It would be too painful.

The orange sun could be seen rising over the stone gate. The city's dilapidated artisan district was reluctantly illuminated by the light. Gray and white rats with piercing red eyes scurried away at a fast pace to avoid the burning sun.

Milliseconds later, five Dai Li agents appeared from the shadows and surrounded the two foreigners, each earthbender in a battle stance.

"State your business," a royal guard with a cold voice demanded.

Sokka grunted. _Not this again._

"My name is Sokka, son of Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe. I'm here to speak with Toph of the Bei Fong family."

He rummaged through the large burlap sack in the bison's saddle until he found his papers.

"I have my passport. And my ID that shows that I am acquainted with the Bei Fongs."

The guard reached up and took the documents from Sokka's hands. He looked through each paper, one eye on the foreigner. The agent eventually nodded and handed the papers back to the Water Tribe warrior.

"You may proceed. Make sure your buffalo is kept securely in the Bei Fongs' stables."

Sokka chuckled. "He's actually a bison…"

The guard did not avert his gaze. Sokka stopped laughing and cleared his throat, pointing Appa in the direction of Toph's mansion.

The youngest Bei Fong had obviously been informed of Appa's arrival. She was already in the mansion's courtyard when the giant beast landed on Earth Kingdom soil for the second time. Sokka glanced down at his old friend. She had the same mile-wide smile across her face as the day the war ended.

"Twinkle toes?" the blind earthbender called out to Sokka. "Is that you?"

The warrior jumped off of Appa's back and shook his head. Like the trained swordsman he was, he glanced suspiciously at the surroundings, painting the picture in his mind. The houses in Ba Sing Se's upper ring were huge and expensive. Rosewood from the forest regions of the Earth Kingdom made up the foundations of most of the buildings. Jade statues lined the walkway to the Bei Fongs' mansion. An elaborate marble fountain stood in their front yard. Nothing too suspicious.

Sokka returned his focus to the girl in front of him. "Nope. It's not Twinkle Toes."

Toph thought for a moment. Slowly it became vastly clear to her who she was speaking to.

"Captain Boomerang!"

The "captain" nodded, stretching his legs for the first time in 36 hours. "The very same."

Toph punched her friend's arm affectionately. "Sokka!" she said, grinning wildly. "I didn't recognize you because your voice doesn't crack anymore! It's so good to see you! Well not to see you, but to feel your vibrations. My feet say it's good to see you."

Sokka laughed. Toph had grown into an attractive young woman. Her black hair was longer and straighter and her shining gray eyes were somehow clearer. She still wore the classic Earth Kingdom colors and still walked barefoot. But she seemed slightly more mature. And slightly more wise.

"What's been going on, Toph?"

The girl made a face and spat on the mansion's stone walkway.

"Nothin'." Toph threw a pebble for distance. "It's Ba Sing Se. It sucks. I hate it here. The entire city is a wall with rules. My parents finally respect me. And they wanted me to stay here with them in the capital, but I was hoping to get out and leave this place behind forever soon."

Sokka frowned. "Where will you go?"

She spat again. "I don't know. Some other part of the Earth Kingdom where I can bend and gamble all I want without having to worry about the stupid responsibilities that come with being a Bei Fong." She began to blush. "And maybe somewhere else. I'd like to see Aang again."

The warrior grimaced. Toph had never before hinted at having a crush on the monk. "Er… Aang's sort of… in a relationship with Katara…"

Toph's mouth fell open. "What? But I thought Katara and Zuko─"

"Never had any romantic feelings for each other whatsoever." The idea that Zuko and Katara had something going on between them was common misconception. They hated each other as sworn enemies until after the Day of Black Sun. Zuko was in love with Mai and Katara loved Aang. And that point couldn't be argued.

The clear-eyed earthbender shrugged. "Oh right. I forgot about Katara and Aang's little make out session after Aang took out Ozai. Whatever. Teo's more of a man than Twinkle Toes, anyway." Toph smiled sheepishly. "He's not as big of a loser as I thought, you know."

Sokka grinned. "You and Teo, huh? I could see that. Just make sure he always wears a helmet and protective padding on your dates. He could get seriously hurt otherwise."

This comment earned the Water Tribe warrior an elbow to the gut.

"On that note," the earthbender began, walking past the groaning Sokka and over to the marble fountain to scoop up a drink with her hands. "What'd you come here for anyway, Captain Boomerang?"

The warrior gagged, thinking about the dirt that may have been in that fountain. "It's probably not a good idea to drink that, Toph…"

She smirked. "What are you, my mom?"

Sokka took offense. "No. It's just probably not the cleanest water you can drink."

"Whatever, Mom." Toph took another drink. "What do you want from me, Sokka?"

The sun was now overhead and its heat was strong. The warrior began to grow uncomfortable in his parka. He slipped it off over his head, revealing a blue gi and two wrapped wristbands.

"Even though you're younger than me, Toph, you're still one of the smartest people I know."

The blind earthbender answered with a look of satisfaction. "I know my way around the streets."

Sokka folded his parka and put it away into his supplies bag. He didn't want to face his friend, even if she wouldn't have seen the pathetic expression that went along with his next request.

"I was wondering if you could give me some advice…"

Toph elbowed the water chieftain. "What's on your mind, Captain Boomerang?"

Sokka rubbed his stomach where the girl had elbowed him. "I'm sure you remember Suki."

A black snake-bird landed in the fountain next to Toph. She shooed it away, mumbling something about "my drinkin' water" and then turned her attention back to Sokka.

"Yeah, of course I remember Suki. She was the leader of the Kiyoshi Warriors."

Sokka nodded but then remembered that his friend was blind.

"That's the one. I was supposed to get married to her at the end of the month."

Toph splashed a handful of fountain water on her dirt-covered face. Some of the grime stuck to her skin rolled down her cheeks and formed a brown puddle on her yellow tunic.

"I'm only coming to the wedding if there's food. And I better not have to wear shoes."

Sokka recoiled. He had always been slightly unnerved by Toph's bluntness. She didn't care what other people thought of her. She was strong, calm, and painfully honest. She certainly had some admirable traits, even if they were intimidating at times.

"Actually, Toph, we're not getting married."

Toph raised one eyebrow. "Why not? Are you upset because she's a better fighter than you and she could kick your butt?"

The Water Tribe Warrior grunted. "You're not the first person to say that… But no. It's because I'm still in love with Yue. My first girlfriend. The one who's dead now. "

A poisonous scorpion-fly landed in the earthbender's hair. Sokka swallowed nervously. Toph just remained calm and waited for it to fly away on its own accord. She was a master of neutral jing.

"It's not that it hasn't been great seeing you, Sokka. But why did you come here to tell me about a wedding that isn't going to happen?"

Sokka cleared his throat. "I was wondering if you think I'm stupid for not marrying Suki, a girl I love, when I'm still thinking about Yue, my true love who isn't alive."

The potential for forming an insult from the connotation of Sokka's most recent sentiment was high.

Toph shrugged. "No. _That's_ not why I think you're stupid." She picked up a pebble from the large walkway and held it in her hands, feeling its coldness in her palm. "Actually, I think that makes you smart. You don't think you would cheat on Suki if you married her, do you?"

Sokka draw back, insulted. "Of course I wouldn't!"

"Wrong." Toph crushed the pebble with her bending. "If you get married to Suki now, you'll be cheating on her every time you even _think_ about this girl, 'Yue.' If you love her more, you love her more. Don't do anything you'll regret. And frankly, it sounds like you'd regret marrying Suki."

The warrior sighed. "You're right, Toph. You and Zuko both."

Toph creased her brow. "So you went to Zuko before talking to me? I thought you said I was the smart one."

Sokka shrugged and withdrew his iron boomerang from its sheath. "Don't feel too bad," he mumbled, polishing the metal with his wristband. "I went to Aang even before I went to Zuko. It wasn't about who was smarter. It was about who was closer to where I was at the moment."

The blind earthbender nodded acceptingly. "Fine. I hope helped you out."

"You did." Sokka put a hand on Toph's shoulder. "Aang and Zuko told me to so what I thought was right. You were the first one to tell me not to do anything I'd regret in those exact terms. It really did help, and I'm not just saying that." He glanced into the fountain. The water didn't look so dirty after all. "I have to go now. It's been great to see you again, but I have somewhere to be. I'm sorry."

The warrior turned in the opposite direction and began to walk away. Toph hopped off of the marble fountain and called out to him.

"Where are you going, Captain Boomerang?"

Sokka climbed up onto Appa's back and threw his belongings in the large saddle. "I'm going to Kiyoshi Island. I have to end it with Suki." The words hurt coming out.

The Bei Fong girl cringed. "Rough. Good luck, man. On another note, come by every so often! And bring Twinkle Toes, Sugar Queen, and Prince Pouty with you."

Sokka chuckled upon hearing Zuko's old nickname. "He's _King_ Pouty now, remember?"

Toph laughed. "I'll have to think of a new name for him. In the mean time, take care of yourself, Captain."

"You too, Toph." The warrior took the giant bison's reigns in his hands. "Iroh still owns a tea shop in the upper ring, doesn't he?"

Toph nodded and wiped a piece of dirt from her big toenail. "I see him a lot. He lets me have all the free drinks I want. The only condition is that I can't spit in his shop."

Sokka grimaced. _The bluntness again_.

"Say hello to him for me, will you?"

Toph grinned. "Only if you say hello to Aang and Katara for me."

"Done. Until next time, Toph." The water chieftain stroked Appa's fur. "Yip yip."

The air bison took off once again, flying southeast. Sokka's expression darkened as they continued to fly in the direction of Kiyoshi Island.

_This is it. I'm sorry, Suki._


	6. Setting the Sun

Appa did not land gracefully on Kiyoshi Island. He hit the ground with a slam and rolled around in the sand by the ocean, communicating to Sokka that he was completely worn out. The warrior threw the air bison another Omashu apple and stroked his head.

"Sorry about this, Appa," he said sheepishly. "But you might have to fly again today if things get awkward between Suki and I. But don't worry. We'll make camp in a nice spot, and you can sleep all you want for the next two days."

The grumpy bison turned his head away from the water chieftain. He closed his eyes and moaned softly. Sokka was flying him around nonstop but barely paying any attention to him. He worked the gentle beast to exhaustion and did little to show his thanks. Appa sullenly snubbed Sokka. His feelings were hurt.

Sokka felt bad. He walked around into Appa's range of sight and smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry, Appa." He hauled a barrel of hay off of the large saddle and threw it down in front of the bison's head. "I haven't thanked you properly for all the work you've been doing. So thanks. There's no way I could get by without you."

Appa murmured happily and licked the warrior's face. This time he took the slobbery affection without much grumbling. He patted Appa's head one last time and took a quick swim in the ocean to clean himself before going to see Suki.

***

The leader of the Kiyoshi Warriors fell to the floor, temporarily paralyzed as Ty Lee finished her signature move. She hadn't been focused on her training. All she could think about was Sokka's letter. Why had he suddenly wanted to break up? The woman clenched her fist using the little muscular ability she had left. What had she done wrong?

Ty Lee frowned, knowing her victory in their sparring match wasn't genuine. She pulled Suki from the ground and tapped her spine her in six places, helping her regain use of her limbs.

The leader exhaled deeply. "Thanks, Ty Lee. And good work. Keep that up and I'll be no match for you."

Ty Lee pouted. "It was a fluke. You've been really out of it these last few days." She walked over to the water pump and got a drink in two wooden cups for herself and her mentor. "Your aura is suddenly all dark and depressing. What's going on?"

Suki accepted the water from her friend. "Thanks for your concern, Ty Lee. But it's nothing. I just… haven't been feeling well."

The gymnast shook her head, downing a gulp from her cup. "It's not just that. I know you, Suki. Something is wrong. Very wrong. Tell me what it is. I might be able to help."

Outside the Kiyoshi Warriors' gym, a hawk-monkey cawed shrilly to the afternoon sun. The Warriors' leader felt like screeching back. It would have made her feel considerably better.

"It's Sokka," she sighed.

Ty Lee grinned. "Sokka? Your super hot fiancé?"

Suki raised one eyebrow. "I guess so…" She looked down at her traditional armor. "We've been having some relationship problems… I assume."

The student walked over to the window and tried to hush the shrieking mammal-bird. When she found she could not succeed at a task of such, she closed the rice paper window shade and faced her friend. Suki removed the iron armor on her upper body, revealing the Kiyoshi Warriors' traditional silk kimono under it.

"What's happening between you two?" Ty Lee asked, a worried look on her face.

Suki walked over to the pump and rinsed the traditional makeup from her face with a cloth. Her friend did the same.

"A few days ago," the leader began, "Sokka's messenger hawk delivered a letter to me. From Sokka, of course."

The student nodded, ensuring her friend that she was listening.

"His letter wasn't long, but it was clear. He said he was sorry, but we couldn't be married."

Ty lee gasped. "What? Why? You two were made for each other!"

Suki shrugged. "Apparently not. He didn't give me a reason. He just said he'd meet up with me in a few days to talk about it. I've been waiting for him to come."

Ty Lee was about to respond, but was cut off by the sound of a low-pitched voice.

"Suki!"

Both warriors glanced in the direction of the speaker. At the door was the island's elderly mayor. He bowed deeply in apology. The Kiyoshi Warriors were the most respected people in the village.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Warrior Suki. But it appears you are being summoned by the prince of the Southern Water Tribe."

Sokka stood behind the mayor.

The fighter felt a knot forming in her stomach. She began to sweat. Ty Lee saw the looks of distress on her face and handed her a damp rag.

"Good luck, Suki." she whispered. "I'll leave you two alone. Whatever happens, I'm behind you all the way."

She gave her friend's hand a squeeze and flew out the door, eyeing Sokka suspiciously as she passed him. He shrugged it off and made his way to the center of the dojo where Suki was standing. The straw tatami mat under his feet crunched as he walked.

"Hi, Suki," he said quietly.

She couldn't face him. "Hello, Sokka."

A moment passed. Neither warrior uttered a word. They just stood in the middle of the gym, letting the silence around them speak in their place. It was awkward.

Sokka looked down at his feet. "We need to talk." His voice was barely audible.

Suki nodded and led him to the veranda. He followed her like a lost dog. His expression was blank. The Kiyoshi Warrior winced. He looked empty.

On the veranda, the two ex-lovers gazed out into the setting sun. Neither warrior felt nature's beauty that evening. Just the sunset's melancholy truth. It would be dark soon.

Suki eventually worked up the strength to speak two words. She gripped a small stone in her hands and tried not to look to the west.

"Why, Sokka?" her voice shook.

The Water Tribe warrior put a hand on his ex's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Suki. You're one of the most special people I've ever met. I want us to stay close friends."

She pushed his hand away. Her expression contorted into one of anger and frustration. "I asked you why! Why would you call off our marriage? Why won't you tell me the reason?"

Sokka touched the woman's face gently. "Do you remember when we were in Ember Island and we saw The Boy in the Iceberg, the satirical documentary featuring Aang and the rest of our group?"

She nodded.

"And do you remember the scene where the Princess of the Northern Water Tribe ascended into the sky and left me—the actor playing me—behind?"

"How could I forget?" Suki glanced up into the orange atmosphere. "It was the most depressing scene of the entire play."

The wolf warrior swallowed hard. "And you know that scene was real? That it happened in real life?"

She nodded. "Yes. You told me."

Sokka exhaled and tapped his fingers against the veranda's wood railing. "Suki. This isn't easy for me to say, because I still love you. But I loved the Moon Spirit, Yue, too. And even though she's been gone for years, there hasn't passed a day when I haven't thought of her. Every time I look at the moon, I feel a pain in my chest. Because I'm looking up at both someone I lost and a part of my heart that's missing, as well."

The leader of the Kiyoshi Warriors blinked, shedding a tear. Sokka brushed it away with his hand. His ice-colored eyes looked as though they would shatter.

"I'm so sorry, Suki. I love you, but I can't marry you when I have such strong, lingering feelings for Yue."

The screeching hawk-monkey from earlier in the afternoon returned and yelped louder than ever. Suki glanced up just in time to watch it spread its crimson wings and fly away. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and took a deep breath. Her voice was oddly steady when she spoke.

"This may sound weird, Sokka. But thank you."

The Water Tribe warrior scratched his head. "Thank you?"

Suki nodded. "Thank you for being so honest with me." She turned to him and smiled faintly. "And this may sound even weirder, but I understand. I understand that you love Yue, and I see why we can't be married. I can't pretend I'm not hurt, but I really do identify with you."

Sokka pulled her closer and hugged her. "Thank you, Suki. You're one of the strongest people I've ever met. And again, I'm sorry."

She gave her full smile. "I accepted your explanation," she turned her head to catch one last glimpse of the sun before it set for the night. "And I accept your apology."

The wolf warrior released her and leaned against the wooden railing, resting his chin in one hand. Suki really was a great person.

She stepped forward. "You can still communicate with Yue, can't you? You can't talk to her, but she's inside of you."

Sokka nodded. "Yes."

The girl looked out into the horizon. The sun had set. The moon was rising. She knew her romantic love for Sokka was over. But she felt all right. Sokka loved the Moon that was growing. The Sun just wanted him to be happy, even if it meant he loved the Moon more.

Suki smiled respectfully at Yue's heavenly embodiment. She envied her, but at the same time she admired her. She gave Sokka something to fight for. It wasn't just a coincidence that the wolf howled at the moon.

"What will you do now, Sokka?" the Kiyoshi Warrior asked quietly. "I mean, where will you go? Back to the South Pole?"

He didn't hesitate to tell her the truth. "I'll go back to the South Pole eventually. But right now, I'm going to the North Pole. I want to be close to Yue's spirit."

Suki nodded, removing a strand of brown hair from her face. "Go to her. She's waiting for you."

"I know." Sokka kissed the Kiyoshi Warrior on the cheek. In the distance, the moon had finally risen. Its rays illuminated the wolf warrior's face.

"Goodbye, Suki. I'll never forget the time we spent together."

She hugged him one last time.

"Goodbye, Sokka."

The girl blinked. And when she opened her eyes, Sokka was gone. She saw Appa's large silhouette flying north and waved, hoping in vain that the wolf would see her. But he was too focused on advancing in his quest to look back. The sun had set peacefully and the night, though its tone was often melancholy, would be beautiful and clear. Clear enough to see the future. Clear enough to see the Moon.


	7. Sokka's Close Call

The northern tundra's forest was freezing. The ice-covered trees remained completely still when the wind blew. Each day another foot of snow fell and made exiting the frozen forest even more of an interminable task. Despite the frigid environment's harsh conditions, the two travelers were unaffected. A South Pole warrior and a two-ton fur-covered flying bison could endure plenty.

In the grotto, Appa yawned and lay down by the fire Sokka had started with dry wood from the Earth Kingdom. The warrior smiled at his partner and gnawed at his dinner of seal pemmican and boiled snow.

"We're making good time, Appa," he said chewing the tough meat. "It's been two weeks since we set out from Kiyoshi Island. It usually takes a month to fly from the South Pole to the North Pole. But if the weather clears up, we could be there by tomorrow."

The bison grunted thirstily and swallowed a mouthful of snow. He shivered for a moment and then looked up at Sokka expectantly. But the warrior didn't notice. He was preoccupied with filling the empty space in his stomach. When his carefully planned out ration of pemmican refused to do so, he stood up and retrieved a long-handled spear from Appa's saddle.

"I'm going hunting," he informed the air bison. "I doubt I'll find anything in such a desolate area, but I might as well look."

Appa murmured worriedly. Sokka pulled the hood of his parka up and shrugged dismissively.

"I'll be all right, Appa. The weather is clear right now. I'll go have a quick look in the forest to see if I can get any meat. And if I can't find anything within the next half-hour, I'll come back. No problem.

The bison growled softly, still slightly worried. Sokka was intelligent. He had a great sense of time and an even better sense of direction. On top of that, he had spent his whole life hunting and learning how to survive in the world's harshest environments. Appa had nothing to worry about.

The hunter looked gazed up at his surroundings. He painted the picture of the forest's clearing in his mind, using a large, boot-shaped block of ice as a mental landmark of where the grotto opened. Slowly and steadily, Sokka walked deeper into the forest, expecting to find nothing, but hoping to find something.

An hour passed and the warrior found no food. He sighed, thinking about the unsatisfying dinner he had eaten earlier. Disregarding his promise to Appa, he kept trudging on, searching for animals. He crossed frozen plateaus, stumbled through mountains of snow, and scaled icy hills. Each trial was completed in vain. He found nothing.

Sokka groaned. His stomach was growling and his morale was low. He looked up into the sky. The atmosphere was beginning to take a whitish color. The clouds were coming in densely, smothering all sunlight in a gray, smoke-like blanket.

The wolf warrior winced, knowing that a snowstorm was approaching. Part of him began to panic. He was far away from the grotto and all of his supplies necessary to withstand an Arctic blizzard. The less-rational side of his brain began to pump adrenaline to his muscles, causing him to run in the direction he thought his camp was.

The warrior dashed straight ahead, revisiting one of the many icy hills from earlier. He climbed it quickly, his animal skin boots scraping against the slippery surface. When he got to the peak, he looked around, trying to see the way back to camp.

Looking down from the hill, all he saw were trees. No path was visible through the arbor's frozen branches and pine needles. Sokka swallowed nervously, feeling a cold sensation come over his body. A bitter slash of wind hit his face. This slash was followed by the feeling of drops of ice pelting off of his blue parka and earth-colored skin. Sokka's eyes widened as he stopped to embrace the unfortunate turn of events taking place around him. A blizzard was starting. And he knew he had to act fast if he wanted to survive.

The Southern warrior slid down the icy hill as fast as he could and made a beeline for his next trail marker, a mountain of compacted snow standing near a young, frozen pine. After making a few seemingly necessary turns, he looked back in the direction to see that nothing looked familiar. This time, the feeling of panic spread to the rational side of his brain.

_What am I going to do?_, the warrior thought, running south and trying to regain his bearings. He dodged an icicle-covered tree branch, only to trip on a chunk of ice protruding from the snow. He heard a bone snap and felt his face collide painfully with the icy surface, wincing as the ground absorbed the oozing puddle of his blood and began to turn red.

Sokka moaned and wiped the blood from his face so that it would not freeze. He tried to stand up, but felt an excruciating pain in his left leg when he attempted to do so and fell back down. He clenched his teeth and pounded the ice with his fist. He knew his leg was broken.

"Damn it," he grunted, feeling slighted as a warrior. After everything Sokka had been through fighting in the war between the nations, he was going to die at the hands of the blizzard, a constant weather condition he had been raised in.

"N-no…" Sokka whispered, gripping a handful of red ice.

"NO!" The wolf screamed out in anger. The swirling snow and razor winds around him stung his face and made the blood stuck to his cheek freeze.

"I won't die. Not after everything I've been through…" He tried to stand up, but fell back down onto the ice, creating a bloody gash on his chin. Sokka growled and beat the ground with his machete.

"I WON'T DIE!"

His movements were fuelled by emotion. The ground kept taking hits from his weapon. Eventually, the metal weakened and broke in two.

"Damn it!" Sokka had just destroyed one of his oldest, most cherished weapons. He bellowed a few more profanities at his stupidity and threw the bottom half of the broken machete at a tree adjacent to where he lay. The knife's ivory handle hit the frozen pine and shattered to pieces.

The wolf inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to calm down and accept the truth. The blizzard's snow had become hail. The jagged pieces of ice pelted his body, causing him pain. He put his head in his gloved hands and fell silent for a moment.

"This is it…" his voice was little more than a whisper. The susurration of the circulating wind around him prevented him from hearing what he thought would be his last words.

"Goodbye Katara, Aang, Dad, Pakku, Gran-gran, Toph, Zuko, Suki.

Sokka closed his eyes in shame. "Goodbye, Yue. I've failed again."

No sooner than he had spoken, a ball of white light descended from the sky and floated toward him. The warrior watched, amazed. He reached for the ball of light to find that it was warm to the touch. Almost hot. The luminous sphere floated over his head and shone on his injured leg. A moment later, he regained feeling in his leg muscles. Sokka gazed down at the light, a feeling of nostalgia coming over him.

A soft voice emanated from the wind. The warrior strained his ears, certain that he had heard the same voice myriad times before.

"_You have not failed, Sokka. As long as I protect you, you will never meet an untimely death."_

The warrior stood up and collected the remains of his shattered machete into his parka, more focused on the voice than the task at hand. He glanced at the ball of light. As the wind ripped at his muscular body, a sudden shock of realization came over him.

"Is this… a spirit? Are you…?"

The voice, did not answer his question. Instead, it offered other information.

"_I can lead you back to your camp, Sokka. Follow me."_

The spirit began to move south at a fast pace. Sokka began to run, trying to keep up with it. It guided him back through the sleek path, up the icy hills, around the mountains of snow, and over the frozen plateaus. When the grotto came into view, the luminous sphere began to disintegrate into the air. The warrior gasped and tried to hold it to keep it from departing.

The spirit gently pushed his hands away. _"Goodbye, Sokka," _it said quietly. _"I am always with you."_

Sokka quickly threw his arms around the ball of light.

"Don't go!" Tears began to stream down his face. "Don't go… please…"

But the spirit did not honor his request. Without another word, its radiant figure faded, leaving the wolf howling alone. Sokka fell to the ground and wept, no longer caring about dishonoring himself as a warrior. After a few minutes of wallowing in his depression, he stood and returned to camp where Appa was waiting worriedly.

When he arrived, the bison rushed forward and grunted happily, licking the man's face. Sokka stroked Appa's fur and sat down tiredly in the snow.

"_Yue just saved my life,"_ he thought to himself, placing the remains of his ivory and iron machete in his travel bag. _"I'm sure of it."_

The air bison murmured and nuzzled against Sokka's head. He half-smiled, his mind not focused on Appa's companionship. He was preoccupied with what the princess had done.

"_She protected me. She did for me what I couldn't do for her all those years ago."_

The blizzard in the forest began to die down. Sokka walked over to Appa's saddle and withdrew a few sticks of dry wood, starting a fire in the stone pit he had built. The rocks were soaked, and as a result, the fire flickered out. Sokka sat huddled up in his sleeping bag, shivering and thinking.

"_I'm so close to the North Pole. And even closer to Yue." _The warrior took another ration of pemmican from his supplies bag and bit into it, chewing vigorously. _"In a few hours, we'll start flying again and we'll be at the northern tribe by nightfall tomorrow."_

Sokka swallowed the meat and looked up into the sky. It was too cloudy to see the moon, but it didn't stop him from trying.

"_I'm coming, Yue."_


	8. Access Granted

"There it is, Appa," Sokka shouted, pointing to the icy walls and elaborate palaces and temples of the Northern Water Tribe. "We're finally here."

The warrior took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The image of the luminous sphere that had saved his life floated around in his head.

"_We're here, Yue."_

The bison roared and began to descend to the icy ground near the stables. He hit the surface and slid, kicking up chunks of ice along the way. When the air beast came to a complete stop, Sokka dismounted and fed Appa a soggy peach brought back from the trip to the Fire Nation. The air bison chewed it and gagged. The warrior scratched his head and apologized.

"Wait here, Appa," Sokka instructed, removing the reigns from the animal's mouth. "I might be gone for a while."

Appa yawned tiredly and walked into a stall. He ate some hay from the floor, turned around a few times to make himself comfortable, and lay down, closing his eyes.

Sokka watched him sleep for a few minutes. As he listened to the bison snore, his thoughts raced. He was in Yue's home. She had saved his life the previous night. And he was finally close to her. The warrior swallowed roughly and made his way to the chief's palace.

When he arrived at the icy castle, he was halted by three guards: a middle-aged, balding man holding an ivory spear, a cute teenage girl with waterbending abilities, and an old enemy, Hahn.

The long haired boy stopped Sokka in his tracks. He pointed his sphere in the wolf's direction and spat at his feet. It formed a puddle next to his boots and froze into a lake of acidic water.

"Well if it isn't Sokka, prince of the penguins. You've really got some guts to show your face back here after your epic failure during the siege."

The warrior tried to pass the arrogant snob. Hahn pushed him back with the butt of his ivory spear. Sokka grunted and shoved the weapon away from his chest.

"Let me pass, Hahn. I need to speak with Chief Arnook."

Hahn let out a dismissive laugh and stepped in front of him so that they were face-to-face. The other guards watched him, uncertain of what he was doing.

"Let you pass, prince of the southern wasteland? After you stole my fiancée and let her die? I don't think so."

Sokka gnashed his teeth. He hated Hahn. Yue was supposed to marry the snob on her sixteenth birthday. She didn't love him. She didn't even like him. When Sokka came to the North Pole for the first time and fell in love with the princess, Hahn tried to get the chief to separate them. Arnook refused to have Sokka and Yue separated out of love for his daughter's happiness and gained the secret contempt of his possible son-in-law.

The wolf had to restrain himself from harming Hahn. The usual kindness and mercy in his countenance had vanished. The coldness in his eyes matched their icy color. He drew the iron boomerang from the sheath on his back and thrust it toward the arrogant man's face.

"Let me through, you bastard." Diamond was softer than his tone. He thrust the weapon in front of Hahn's trachea. "Or I will kill you."

The arrogant guard backed up. Sokka smirked. Hahn was a weak, egotistical coward. He would respond to any threat by backing down or attacking his aggressor from behind. He didn't deserve to serve his nation. And he didn't deserve to be called a warrior.

The wolf lowered his weapon and stowed it. The fresh snow around him swirled in the wind and covered his boots and made his feet damp.

"Thank you, Hahn." Sokka passed his enemy without as much as a glance backward. He didn't even deserve a look of distain.

The warrior climbed the ice stairs to Chief Arnook's palace. He arrived in front of the elaborately carved doors and inhaled deeply, pulling the snow-lion head knocker. Seconds after he had knocked, the carved doors opened, and the wolf was greeted by an elderly, cockeyed female servant.

She looked him up and down, one brown eye on the warrior's feet and the other on his head. It was unnerving. He looked away.

"Uh…" he stuttered, trying not to meet the servant's gaze. "My name is Sokka. I'm Chief Hakoda of the Southern Tribe's son."

The old woman smiled. She had only four teeth.

"I heard rumors that the prince of our sister tribe was strikingly handsome." Her toothless smile became larger. "I guess the rumors were true."

Sokka felt awkward. He cleared his throat embarrassedly and looked down at his damp bearskin boots. They had certainly taken some wear and tear over the years. They would need to be replaced soon.

"Er… I would like to speak with Chief Arnook." The warrior pulled the collar of his shirt roughly. The servant nodded.

"Right away, your majesty." She winked at him. Her left eye remained unfocused.

Sokka almost gagged as he followed the woman through the palace halls and into the king's throne room.

Everything in the large chamber was made of ice. The murals on the wall were carved in ice and painted over and the throne itself was a block of frozen water with a cushion on top. In the distance, Yue's father stood in front of a world map painting, his back to the visitor. With one hand, he fingered the North Pole on the large mural and placed his other hand on Omashu, presumably comparing the sizes of the two empires.

The servant lowered her body to the floor and bowed before speaking to the tribe's beloved leader.

"Chief Arnook?"

The aging man turned from the map to face the woman. "Yes, Kanda?"

"Kanda" bowed deeper and continued her thought. "You have a visitor."

Arnook looked behind his servant and noticed Sokka, who was standing halfway across the room.

The chief smiled warmly and trekked across the throne room to where the warrior was standing.

"Sokka!" he said happily, grasping his visitor's hand. "My brother from the Southern Tribe! You've returned!"

Sokka nodded solemnly and shook the king's hand.

"I'm honored to be in your presence, Chief Arnook," his eyes drifted to an ice carving of the moon teaching the first waterbenders. A feeling of depression washed over his body. "But I've come to you for one specific reason."

Arnook put a hand on the guest's shoulder. "What is that, my brother?"

The warrior took a deep breath, placing one hand over his face in pained fatigue.

"I'd like your permission to enter the Spirit Oasis where Yue is buried."

The chief fell silent for a moment. Sokka watched the aging man nervously, worried that he would deny him access to the Oasis. When Arnook finally spoke, his voice was weak and low.

"Very well, Sokka." The aging man turned, signaling for the warrior to follow. "I will take you there."

Arnook led Sokka out of the imperial palace and over an icy bridge adjacent to the courtyard. From the bridge, he turned right and walked along one of the city's elaborate canals until they reached a large flight of stairs. The top was out of sight. It seemed to fade into the clouds as it stretched on endlessly. The chief cleared his throat to get the warrior's attention.

"The Spirit Oasis is at the top of these stairs. It is off-limits to the public, but you, Sokka, have my permission to visit the grounds as many times as you like."

The warrior turned to Chief Arnook and bowed, one fist under an open hand. "Thank you, sir."

Arnook nodded and turned back in the direction of the palace.

When he was out of sight, Sokka turned back to the flight of stairs and raised his neck, trying to estimate how high they reached.

When he found that forming an estimation of the height of the stairs was impossible, he shrugged it off and began to climb, not caring about the time it would take him. It didn't matter. Nothing could stop him from moving. A sudden blizzard couldn't discourage him, a sneak attack from an enemy force wouldn't phase him, and even if the stairs were coated in oil and impossible to climb, he would attempt the absurd and succeed.

"Yue…" he whispered, continuing to climb at a steady pace. "I'm almost there…"


	9. The Unthinkable

The warrior pushed his way through the door to the Spirit Oasis garden. The inexplicably warm air surrounded him and felt heavy in his lungs when he breathed. A waterfall of flowing, unfrozen water crashed down into a pool where two white and black koi fish swam in perfect union. Plants grew miraculously from the ever-icy surface, their leaves extending out and covering much of the ground. A stone statue of Princess Yue stood in the far-left corner of the garden. Her ashes lay scattered around it.

Sokka walked over to the statue and remains of the woman he loved, tears streaming down his earth-colored face as fell to his knees. He wept for many minutes before finally gathering the strength to speak.

"Yue…" he choked. "Last night, your spirit ascended from the sky and saved me from dying in the blizzard…"

He attempted to dry his eyes on the sleeve of his parka but found it futile. Tears continued to roll down his face and strangle him of air and thoughts.

Sokka placed the pieces of his machete in front of the statue.

"You saved my life, Yue. You protected me when I needed you." His eyes drifted over to the younger koi fish in the pond. It continued to swim in perfect harmony with its partner. They were the synchronized spirits of Day and Night. Push and Pull, Tui and La. Yin and Yang.

The warrior's body shook. He was barely able to utter another word.

"I couldn't protect you when you needed me…"

Sokka clenched his teeth and tore at his skin with his fingernails. "I can't do this anymore, Yue. I can't live knowing I've failed you. I love you. More than the tired trees love the winter when they can shed their leaves. And I need you. More than a flower needs water to quench its thirst."

The wolf howled one last time and withdrew the iron boomerang from its sheath. Slowly, he raised it to his heart. Tears continued to flow like waterfalls down his handsome face.

"I love you more than I'll ever be able to express through words, Yue."

With one motion, Sokka impaled himself through the chest and fell to the ground as the grass under his body soaked up the last of his human vitality.

Blood spewed from his mouth as he said his last words.

"I'll be with you soon, Yue. Wait for me..."

Seconds later, the world in front of Sokka went dark. He closed his eyes and let the darkness peacefully consume him. He died with a smile on his face.


	10. The Birth of the Ocean

"Wh-where is this…?" The wolf opened his eyes to a blinding light. He held his hand to his face to find that his arm was transparent.

He looked around in every direction. Everything looked the same. The atmosphere was white.

Sokka stood up and began to walk. He eventually came to a door carved from ice that seemed to appear from nowhere. Engraved into the wood was an illustration of the ocean tides.

The wolf's expression perked up. "Yue?"

He opened the door and stepped inside. When he turned around to see where he was, the entrance vanished. This room was nothing like the last one he had been in. There was no light. Everything was dark. Blackness consumed the atmosphere, causing Sokka to rub his eyes to ensure that he had not gone blind.

There was nowhere to move but forward. Sokka kept pressing onward without an idea where he was or where he was going.

"Yue…?" He called out into the shadows. "Where are you?"

Less than a moment after he had spoken, the ball of light he had seen once before in the tundra's forest appeared from the darkness.

Sokka watched as the luminous sphere began to expand. Within seconds, the light had materialized into the ghostly figure of a beautiful young woman with dark skin, snowy hair, and dazzling blue eyes. Her hands were folded over her chest in a prayer-fashion. A look of immense sadness and confusion was sprawled out across her gorgeous face. The warrior froze with an overload of emotions. He was with his princess once again.

"Sokka…" the northern princess's voice seemed to come and go with the wind.

The wolf took a few steps forward. The moon princess did the same.

With a few more steps, the man and woman were only inches away from the other's face. Yue's expression became one of pure joy. She threw herself at the man she loved.

"Sokka." She touched his face.

The warrior held her as tight as he possibly could without causing her pain.

"Yue."

The two spirits moved their heads closer together until their lips were locked in a long, loving kiss. When the princess finally pulled away, the wolf saw that she was crying.

"What's wrong, Yue?"

Yue took Sokka's hands in hers. The look of confusion had returned.

"I'm overwhelmed, Sokka." She kissed his face. "I've wanted to see you again for so long. But I wanted it to be at the correct time. You were too young to die."

The warrior pulled the woman closer to him.

"It doesn't matter," he whispered. "I'm here. And we can be together for eternity now."

Yue pulled away. "No, Sokka."

Out of anxiety, Sokka shoved his hands into his pockets. "What do you mean? That we can't be together ever?"

The princess shook her head in denial. "Of course not!" she took a step in the other direction. "We will be together in eternity. But not yet."

The wolf raised one hand to his back to find that the iron boomerang's sheath was empty. "But… I died. This is the afterlife…"

His icy eyes looked breakable once again. "Why can't we be together now, Yue?"

The northern princess began to cry silently.

"I love you, Sokka." She embraced him again. "And I would like nothing more than to spend eternity with you…"

Sokka leaned forward and kissed the princess. "Then let's stay like this forever."

Yue shook her head and glanced at the darkness around her. "You don't understand. This isn't the regular afterlife. This is the Spirit Realm. Only people who were fated to die come here."

The warrior raised one eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

"It means you can't be here. Your death wasn't supposed to happen. You can return someday, but only when you die of age. That's what fate is. Something you can't escape."

Sokka's body shook with emotion. "You mean…?"

The princess nodded sadly. "You have to return to the world of the living."

The darkness around him made Sokka want to scream. He sucked in his stomach and put his face in his hand, trying not to yell out in anguish.

"I don't want to leave you, Yue." His voice cracked. "Not now that we're finally back together. I can't do it… I can't leave you…"

Yue thought for a moment. She let loose her long, white hair and put a hand on Sokka's shoulder.

"I'm the Moon. I can't come with you back to Earth. But I know of one way you can take part of me back to the living world with you."

The warrior looked up abruptly. "How?"

The spirit princess gazed at him, a solid seriousness in her blue eyes. "We can have a child."

Sokka's mouth fell open momentarily. "W-what? How? Well… not 'how' I mean, I know how that works, but…"

Yue laughed. The man next to her melted upon hearing the sound. She loved his spastic anxiety.

"A child born in the Spirit Realm can only exist here for the equivalent of one of Earth's solar cycles. One full day. Because a baby can't be born in death. If I become pregnant now, our child will be born by nightfall on Earth."

Sokka scratched his head confusedly. "How is that possible?"

The princess embraced her chieftain. "Things in the Spirit Realm don't have to make sense."

The warrior frowned. "Apparently not…"

The blackness of the atmosphere began to lighten. In its place came the lightness from the room from before.

The wolf glanced around. "This is change is the balance of day and night, isn't it?"

Yue nodded. "Yin and Yang. Tui and La."

Sokka thought for a moment. "Are we Tui and La?"

The princess smiled. "Right now we are."

She began to blush. "And we can become one."

The warrior smiled slightly and kissed the spirit princess. "How much time do we have before I have to leave?"

Yue wrapped her arms around Sokka's neck and pulled him forward, still blushing wildly.

"Enough time. Let's make it last."

And like the balance of the sun and moon becoming one during an eclipse, Sokka and Yue became one. At the end of their synthesis, the princess became pregnant with the child of the Moon and the Wolf from Earth that had so long howled desperately up to her. She bore the baby as carefully and gently as the wind caresses leaves of the trees on a mild summer day. And when night fell and the physical world's solar cycle had ended, with the aid and support of her true love, the wolf called Sokka, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl.

Sokka glanced down at his young daughter. She was a small, underweight girl with dark hair and ice-colored eyes. Unable to find a better cradle, the warrior had removed his shirt and wrapped the small girl in the cloth. She resembled both of her parents in different ways. She was both the Wolf and the Moon. And Sokka vowed to protect her with his life.

Yue lay on the ground, her chieftain's parka behind her head as a cushion. The new mother inhaled, trying to gather the strength to speak.

"What will we name our daughter?" she breathed, stroking the infant's cheek tenderly.

Sokka raised one hand to his face thoughtfully. "The wolf howls at the Moon…"

Yue smiled. "And the Moon pulls the tides. It's the cycle."

The warrior rocked his baby, listening to her hiccup for the first time. "Her name should have some sort of attachment to the ocean."

The princess nodded. "What do you suggest?"

The darkness began to fade to gray. Sokka swallowed hard, knowing it would soon be time to depart.

"How about 'Umi'?" The warrior ventured.

Yue smiled. "'Umi.' The sea…"

Sokka took her hand gently. "What do you think?"

The gray atmosphere was becoming lighter with every second that passed. Morning was coming. The princess smiled broadly, a tear falling from her eye. It fell to the invisible surface and splattered, creating three small puddles in the otherwise unadorned grayness.

"I think it's perfect."

The three pools of Yue's tears lay separated with an inch-wide space between them. Sokka pushed them together with his index finger.

He stroked his child's mother's white hair. "We're all going to live together as one. No matter how far apart we are physically."

Yue agreed, glancing sadly into the atmosphere. It was a very pale shade of gray.

"It's almost time for you to leave, Sokka." She inhaled deeply, trying to keep her voice steady.

The warrior kissed his princess goodbye. "I know…"

The woman embraced the man she loved and held her child one last time.

"I love you, Sokka." She smiled fondly down at the sleeping little girl in her arms. "And I love you, Umi."

Sokka gently took the baby from her. "I love you too, Yue. And that will never change."

The sky's pale gray became white and the warrior found that his body as well as his daughter's body was becoming tangible. The world around him started to fade. He focused his attention on catching one last glimpse of Yue.

The princess reached out to Sokka. Her hand phased right through him.

"Goodbye, Sokka." The wind carried her voice away. "I'll always be with both of you. And you'll be with me whenever you look up at the Moon."

The wolf howled, holding his child tightly. "Goodbye, Yue."

And then she was gone. Sokka closed his eyes tightly. When he opened them, he was out of the Spirit Realm and back in the Spirit Oasis in the North Pole.

The warrior took in his surroundings, again breathing the garden's humid air. Umi opened her ice-colored eyes and looked over at the stone effigy of her mother.

Sokka beamed, tapping daughter's nose affectionately. "Yeah. I love her, too."

The baby cooed went back to sleep. Her father couldn't stifle his smile. Things had finally worked out.

He walked over to the pond and gazed down into the pool of flowing water. The black and white koi fish, Tui and La, moved in perfect union as they swam in the tributary that would eventually lead to the ocean.


	11. Epilogue

_Ten Years Later_

__________________________________________________________________

"Come on, Dad! You promised we'd get there on time tonight!"

A pretty little girl with dark hair, dark skin, blue eyes, and a suitcase in her hand ran past her father, sliding somewhat on the South Pole's icy surface under them.

Sokka cringed. "Umi, be careful!"

The girl tripped as a result of not heeding his warning. The suitcase went flying from her hand. With quick thinking and even quicker reflexes, she bended the block of ice she stood on to meet her height and prevent herself from falling.

The warrior caught up to his daughter and put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Umi nodded. "Of course. Aunt Katara taught me that move. She said if I learned it, I would never get hurt from falling on the ice again."

Sokka nodded understandingly. It was interesting having another waterbender in the family.

The pretty girl picked up her blue travel bag and continued walking to the stables to find her Uncle Aang's air bison that would be giving her a ride.

The warrior trailed behind his daughter, panting. She sure was quick.

"Hi, Appa!" Umi cried happily when she located the air bison. She stroked his fur affectionately, giving him some hay from a barrel in the stall's southwest corner. "Guess where we're going today?"

The air beast murmured, graciously accepting the hay.

"That's right!" she grinned as though the animal had answered her. "The Fire Nation! I'm going to a sleepover at Irah's house!"

Sokka stopped her before she had the chance to climb the bison's saddle. "Wait a minute, Umi," he said seriously. "We have to set some ground rules before you go to the sleepover."

The girl sighed. "Like what?"

The father took her travel bag, lifting it up onto Appa's saddle. "Rule one: absolutely no leaving the imperial palace grounds unless you're with an adult."

Umi groaned. "Fine, Dad."

Sokka held up his index and middle fingers. "Rule two: no agni kai matches against Irah unless you wear the proper sparring gear. Burns are not pleasant."

The chief's daughter pointed to the bison's saddle. "I packed the fireproof armor you invented for me."

Sokka nodded approvingly. "Fine." He held up three fingers. "Now this is the last rule. And by far the most important one. You must, and I mean _must_, follow it…"

Umi smiled mischievously. "Yeah?"

The father stroked his chin contemplatively.

"You may under no circumstances put makeup on Zuko's face while he's asleep. _Under no circumstances._"

The child kicked a clump of snow by her foot. Her expression deflated. "But that's the best part of any sleepover at Irah's house! Aunt Mai doesn't mind. She thinks it's funny. And Uncle Zuko always looks so pretty with makeup. Just like Suki."

Sokka grinned. "Yeah. I bet he does."

The warrior's daughter looked up hopefully. "Then it's okay if I put a little makeup on his face?"

The chief nodded slightly, putting one foot in the bison's stirrup and hoisting himself up.

"Only if you don't tell him that I told you it was all right. Zuko is like family to us. He might not be so quick to think of me as a brother if he knew that."

Umi giggled. "Okay, Dad. I won't tell him."

She put her own foot in Appa's stirrup and pulled herself up next to her father.

"Do you think Kaiya can come to our next sleepover? It would be really cool to fight an agni kai against an airbender."

Sokka took the bison's reigns. "Umi, you have to remember that your cousin is still very little."

The girl shrugged. "So? She's already a great bender."

The wolf tightened his grip on Appa's reigns. "I guess you'll have to see what Uncle Aang and Aunt Katara think. Aang doesn't like agni kai matches, but he's still pretty laid-back."

Sokka inhaled, but was cut off before he gave Appa the command.

"Wait! Can I say it?"

The handsome chief smiled at his daughter. "I don't see why not."

Umi grinned broadly and patted the bison's head.

"Yip yip, Appa!"

For the millionth time, the air bison took to the skies, flying at a great speed for the northwest. The girl put her arms out at the sides, feeling the wind on her body. She loved the thrilling sensation of air travel.

From the head of the saddle, wolf turned his head to face his daughter.

"Listen, Umi. Have fun, but try to behave somewhat tonight. Your mother will be watching you from the sky."

Umi laughed as snowflakes began to fall from the sky and collect in her dark hair.

"I know she will, Dad. Mom will be watching and protecting both of us as long as we live."

The wolf remained steady on the outside, but howled happily inside.

"She will, Umi. Because the wolf howls at the Moon and the Moon pulls the tides."

It was the cycle that could never be broken.


End file.
